State Needs Clear Pool Safety Rules

EDITORIAL

December 04, 2012

It still seems incredible. On Nov. 21, a 14-year old Manchester High School freshman, Malvrick Donkor, slipped under the water during a swimming class and was on the bottom for 17 minutes before anyone noticed. A teacher dove in to rescue him, but by then it was too late.

He was the second high school student to drown in a swim class this year and the fourth youngster to drown in a swimming pool in the state since 2008.

The wrong reaction to these tragedies would be to halt swimming lessons. Children need to learn to swim. They are drawn to water and will be in danger — at pools, beaches, swimming holes — if they can't swim.

The right reaction is to ensure that all youth swim classes meet consistent safety standards. At present, safety rules are not uniform.

The Courant's Alaine Griffin recently reported that standards in children's swim classes vary throughout the Connecticut. On the one hand, swimming activities at state-licensed child care programs are tightly regulated by the state Department of Public Health, with strict rules about such things as staff-to-child ratios. But, as Ms. Griffin reported, the thousands of children who swim at schools and private swim programs across the state are not protected by those same rules.

After Malvrick Donkor died, Manchester interim school superintendent Richard Kisiel initiated an investigation and a policy review. He said he favors the idea of a statewide uniform swim-safety policy. That makes sense.

With enough qualified and experienced lifeguards, plus policies such as the "buddy system" in which two youngsters look out for each other, Connecticut can decrease the chances of another drowning.